Arts & Culture

The coat of arms gave them a strong visual symbol that they were able to use on street signs, footpath markers and town trails, but most of the new community councils had no visual symbols for their area.

Gavinton, Fogo and Polwarth has a wealth of history. In fact, the old burgh of Langton was established by King Robert III in a charter to Sir Alexander Cockburn in 1392, nearly 100 years before neighbouring Duns.

Gavinton is now the largest village in the area, but the other settlements, at Fogo and Polwarth, both have a long history of their own. The family of Trotter of Mortonhall has long been associated with Fogo, while Polwarth has passed between a number of families over the last 500 years.

In November 2007, as the 250th anniversary of the founding of Gavinton approached, the Community Council decided to send a letter to every household in the area to see if the residents would like the Community Council to get a coat of arms which would reflect some of this history and also act as a forward-looking symbol for today. Those who responded were largely in favour and many offered to contribute the cost.

So in May 2008 a petition was submitted to the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Edinburgh seeking the grant of a new coat of arms for Gavinton, Fogo and Polwarth Community Council.

Lord Lyon accepted the suggestions in full and the new arms were formally granted in August this year and proclaimed to a crowd of about 60 people by Her Majesty's Officer of Arms, Mrs Christopher Roads, MVO, Carrick Pursuivant, wearing her full heraldic uniform, at a colourful ceremony in Gavinton Village Hall on Saturday 21 November.